Funny Incidents

W.G. Grace's Honeymoon Tour of Australia — 1873-74

1873-10-01England (W.G. Grace's XI) in AustraliaW.G. Grace's XI tour of Australia, October 1873 - May 18742 min readSeverity: Mild

Summary

Two weeks after marrying Agnes Day in October 1873, W.G. Grace took her on his honeymoon by sailing to Australia at the head of a private cricket tour. He was paid £1,500 — the equivalent of well over £100,000 today — for what was effectively a privately organised England side. The tour played 15 matches across Australia and laid the groundwork for the Test era that followed three years later.

Background

The 1873-74 tour was the third England tour of Australia, after H.H. Stephenson's 1861-62 and George Parr's 1863-64. Both earlier tours had featured Grace's older brother E.M.; this was W.G.'s first.

Build-Up

Grace married Agnes Nicholls Day on 9 October 1873. The tour party sailed two weeks later from London.

What Happened

Grace was 25 and recently married. The promoters of the tour — a syndicate of Melbourne sportsmen — agreed to pay him £1,500 plus expenses, with smaller sums for his amateur teammates and weekly wages for the professionals (W. McIntyre, Andrew Greenwood, James Lillywhite, James Southerton and Martin McIntyre). Agnes accompanied her husband. The party sailed in October 1873 and arrived in Melbourne in November. They played fifteen matches against odds — local sides of fifteen, eighteen or twenty-two players — and won 10, drew 3 and lost 2. Grace himself scored 711 runs at 30 across the tour and took 89 wickets. The financial arrangement — fees vastly larger for the captain than for the professionals — caused some grumbling on the boat home, and Lillywhite would later run his 1876-77 tour explicitly without amateurs. Agnes returned home six months pregnant; their son Bertie was born in July 1874.

Key Moments

1

Grace marries Agnes 9 Oct 1873

2

Sails for Australia mid-October 1873

3

Arrives Melbourne November 1873

4

Plays fifteen matches against odds — wins 10, draws 3, loses 2

5

Returns to England May 1874 with Agnes 6 months pregnant

Timeline

9 Oct 1873

Grace marries Agnes Day

Late Oct 1873

Tour party sails for Australia

Nov 1873-Apr 1874

15 matches against odds across Australia

May 1874

Tour returns; Agnes 6 months pregnant

Jul 1874

Son Bertie born

Notable Quotes

“It was a curious notion of a wedding tour, but my husband would not be parted from cricket.”

— Agnes Grace, in a later family memoir

Aftermath

Grace's son Bertie was born in July 1874. The tour's success encouraged Lillywhite to organise the all-professional 1876-77 trip that produced the first Test. Grace himself did not return to Australia until the 1891-92 tour as Sheffield's guest.

⚖️ The Verdict

The most remarkable honeymoon in cricket history. Grace banked £1,500, played 15 matches, got Agnes safely home pregnant, and left Australian cricket considerably better organised.

Legacy & Impact

The 1873-74 tour is remembered partly for the cricket and partly for its peculiar status as a £1,500 honeymoon. It is also the first England tour of Australia to feature professionals on weekly wages alongside amateurs on fees — a structure that would survive in modified form for decades.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was £1,500 a lot for a 1873 cricket fee?▾
Yes — well over £100,000 in today's money. It dwarfed the fees paid to other touring amateurs and caused friction on the trip.
Did the tour produce a Test match?▾
No. Tests began in 1877. The 1873-74 tour was played fifteen-a-side or against odds.

Tags

#wg-grace#honeymoon-tour#1873#1874#australia#agnes-grace#private-tour

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